Comparison

Magnetic Storms vs HamAlert

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Magnetic Storms

Monitor Earth's magnetic field and solar activity in near real-time. Track Kp and A indices, solar wind speed, solar flares, and proton/electron flux. Predict auroras and magnetic storms.

Highlights
  • Real-time magnetic field monitoring
  • Solar activity tracking
  • Kp and A Index data
  • Solar wind speed
  • Solar flare detection
  • Proton and electron flux
  • Aurora prediction
Read full description

The Magnetic Storms application was originally developed to allow monitoring of the Earth's magnetic field in near real time, using data from GOES satellites that constantly monitor solar activity and a set of magnetic stations distributed around the Earth. With the improvement of the application due to the huge number of users and the availability of new parameters related to the Sun and Space Weather by the space agencies, lots of other information was added and they are shown in a simple and intuitive way. The main parameters presented are the Kp Index, the A Index, the instantaneous speed of the solar wind, the number of class C, M and X solar flares observed in X-rays, in addition to the flux of protons and electrons, flux of X-rays and magnetic field measurements observed by GOES-16. With an analysis of this information it is possible to anticipate sudden changes in the Earth's magnetic field at ground level and the occurrence of aurora with some advance. An ideal application for anyone who wants to monitor solar activity and its implications on Earth, such as problems in the transmission of radio and TV waves, blackouts in electricity transformer stations, auroras, magnetic storms. It is the perfect app for anyone interested in Space Weather in general, and is available in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and French. As a way of keeping the app distributed for free and constantly updated, we kindly ask you to rate the app ("stars") and write a brief description of why you use it and (we hope you) enjoy it. Criticism and suggestions are always welcome at mikebm10.appledeveloper@gmail.com. NOTE: the parameters shown in the application are obtained from the research entities responsible for their collection and processing, and depend on the availability and access to the electronic servers of these entities. Any connection speed problems with the servers or temporary unavailability of information by those institutions can affect the functioning of the application, and are beyond the control of the developers. Problems should be reported by email mikebm10.appledeveloper@gmail.com, with a description of the observed effects. Please do not assign a low rating in the evaluation of the application for possible failures in the servers, which are not our responsibility. An email message will be promptly answered and possible measures will be taken. We thank you for your understanding.

About

HamAlert

Receive instant push notifications for desired amateur radio contacts. Filter alerts by various criteria like callsign, band, mode, and location. Stay updated on DX spots from multiple sources.

Highlights
  • Push notifications for desired stations
  • Filter spots by DXCC, callsign, and location
  • Support for Reverse Beacon Network, SOTAwatch, DX cluster, PSK Reporter
  • Filter by band, mode, and time
  • Filter by spotter callsign and DXCC
Features
Read full description

This app is a companion to the HamAlert web site (hamalert.org) and lets you receive push notifications from HamAlert. HamAlert is a system that allows amateur radio operators to get notifications when a desired station appears on the DX cluster, the Reverse Beacon Network, SOTAwatch, POTA, WWFF Spotline, or PSK Reporter. Spots can be filtered by various criteria, including: • DXCC (both actual and callsign home DXCC) • Callsign • Island reference • Summit reference • Park reference • CQ zone • Continent • Band • Mode • Time and days of week • Source • Spotter callsign and DXCC

Screenshots

Magnetic Storms4 screens
HamAlert1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: HamAlert at none against Magnetic Storms's shown. HamAlert also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (every 5 months vs every 12 months). Magnetic Storms's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (82% vs 67%). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Magnetic Storms holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19 and 34 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Magnetic Storms's written reviews are positive against 67% of HamAlert's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Magnetic Storms ships an update every 12 months, HamAlert every 5 months. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Magnetic Storms versus HamAlert: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMagnetic StormsHamAlert
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (19 ratings) — better4.0 (34 ratings)
Positive reviews81.5% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings1934 — better
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsEvery 5 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.4 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndre MolinaManuel Kasper

Customer experience

Magnetic Storms

All ratings19 ratings
Positive84.2%
Neutral5.3%
Negative10.5%
Written reviews92 reviews
Positive81.5%
Neutral5.4%
Negative13.0%

HamAlert

All ratings34 ratings
Positive67.6%
Neutral8.8%
Negative23.5%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral9.5%
Negative23.8%

Bugs and requests

Magnetic Storms

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • App quits updating
  • Chart not updated
  • Crashes on startup
  • App crashes immediately
  • App crashes on first run
Show 4 more
  • App not working after updates
  • Splash screen issue
  • App not starting
  • App offline for a week

Requested features

6 requests
  • Paid version without ads
  • Local weather based on location
  • Email or notification alerts for major magnetic storms
  • Long-term/historical data
  • Dark mode option
Show 1 more
  • More elegant graphs

HamAlert

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Magnetic Storms

No in-app purchases

None

HamAlert

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Magnetic Storms free?
Magnetic Storms is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HamAlert free?
HamAlert is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Magnetic Storms or HamAlert?
Magnetic Storms is rated higher. Magnetic Storms averages 4.3 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while HamAlert averages 4.0 from 34 ratings.
Do Magnetic Storms or HamAlert have ads?
Magnetic Storms shows ads; HamAlert does not.
Which is updated more often, Magnetic Storms or HamAlert?
Magnetic Storms ships an update every 12 months, and HamAlert every 5 months. Most recently, Magnetic Storms was updated on October 16, 2026 and HamAlert on October 16, 2026.

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